1 


Aniericaii  Board  of  Coinmissioiiers  for  Foreign  llissioiis. 


THE  MISSIONARY  CALL  FROM  CHINA. 


For  Christian  Young  Men  in  Colleges  and  Theological 
Seminaries.  Also  for  Monthly  Concert  use 
by  Pastors  and  others. 


-V. 

(■ 


A FAMILIAR  LETTER. 


^meritati  ^oartl  of  ^omn^i^sionors  for  jforoijn  fissions. 


The  Missionary  Call  from  China. 

Tungcho,  China,  Nov.  20,  1879. 

We  rejoice  in  the  forward  movement  toward  the  heart  of 
Africa.  Providence  seems  to  be  leading  you  to  a place  there 
side  by  side  with  other  sections  of  the  church.  I trust  our  mis- 
sion will  soon  be  opened,  and  that  it  will  have  a glorious  future. 
Africa  must  be  enlightened,  civilized.  Christianized  by  the 
preaching  of  the  gospel,  and  we,  our  beloved  American  Board, 
must  do  our  share  of  the  glorious  work. 

But  while  we  keep  step  with  other  missionary  societies  in 
entering  the  opening  door  in  Africa,  it  seems  to  me  that  the  call 
to  go  forward  in  China,  instead  of  being  less  loud  and  impera- 
tive than  that  which  comes  to  us  from  the  mysterious  wilds  of 
the  Dark  Continent,  is  far  more  so.  Is  it  not  loud  enough  to 
be  heard  across  the  oceans  which  intervene,  and  to  penetrate 
the  hearts  of  young  men  and  women  in  America } What  are 
the  facts  which  constitute  this  call  ? 

1.  Three  hundred  to  four  hundred  millions  of  souls  are  here 
crowded  together  within  the  limits  of  these  eighteen  provinces 
— about  double  the  population  of  the  African  Continent. 

2.  Nine  tenths  of  this  field  are  still  unoccupied,  — nine  tenths 
of  these  multitudes  are  still  unreached  by  the  gospel. 

3.  The  whole  field,  in  the  providence  of  God,  has  become 
accessible.  Missionaries  may  travel  almost  everywhere,  and  a 
residence  can  now  be  effected  at  most  of  the  important  points 
which  it  is  desirable  to  occupy.  The  occupation  of  new  fields 
may  not  be  wholly  free  from  danger;  yet  the  deadly  malaria  and 
the  fierce  savage  are  not  lurking  about  our  every  step,  as  in 


Africa.  Danger  and  difficulty  ought  not  to  deter  us  there  ; but 
if  God  gives  us  a more  open  door  Iiere,  it  surely  is  no  reason 
for  passing  it  by. 

4.  There  are  facilities  here  which  extend  the  range  of  a mis- 
sionary’s influence  more  widely  than  is  possible  in  any  other 
part  of  the  world.  The  Classical  language  is  read  by  scholars 
in  every  part  of  the  empire,  as  well  as  in  Japan.  The  Mandarin 
dialect  is  read  by  larger  numbers  throughout  two  thirds  of  the 
empire.  Merchants  and  scholars  are  traveling  back  and  forth, 
and  we  frequently  meet  persons  from  distant  provinces. 

5.  Leaving  out  Japan,  Madagascar,  and  the  Polynesian 
Islands,  perhaps  in  no  other  part  of  the  heathen  world  has  more 
fruit  been  gathered  in  proportion  to  the  seed  sown.  This  was 
not  true  twenty'  years  ago,  but  I believe  it  is  now.  The  number 
of  church-members  doubles  about  once  in  seven  years. 

6.  Work  done  for  China  will  certainly  tell  on  the  future  of  the 
world’s  history.  The  Chinese  are  an  enterprising  people.  They 
are  colonizing  Manchurin  and  Mongolia  on  the  north,  the 
islands  of  the  Pacific  and  Indian  Oceans,  and  have  made  a 
lodgment  on  the  shores  of  North  and  South  America.  Their 
young  men  are  in  your  schools  and  colleges,  and,  as  the  papers 
tell  us,  they  stand  side  by  side  with  the  proud  Anglo-Saxon  race 
in  the  contest  for  scholastic  and  literary  honors.  Christianized, 
China  has  a noble  history  before  her,  and  must  become  a mighty 
factor  in  the  great  political,  social,  and  religious  movements  of 
coming  generations.  Whoever  is  permitted  to  bear  the  hum- 
blest part  in  securing  her  conversion,  though  his  name  and  work 
may  find  no  place  on  the  historic  page,  yet  will  surely  send  his 
influence  down  through  the  channels  of  human  life,  and  do 
much  to  shape  the  destiny  of  the  whole  human  family.  Was 
ever  such  a tempting  prize  held  up  to  animate  the  messenger  of 
good  tidings  longing  to  do  all  he  can  for  the  salvation  of  souls, 
for  the  elevation  of  his  race,  and  for  the  glory  of  God  ? My 
only  wonder  is  that  the  Christian  students  in  college  are  not  too 


impatient  to  wait  for  the  completion  of  their  course  of  study, 
and  that  those  in  the  theological  seminaries  of  our  land,  as  they 
come  forth,  class  by  class,  do  not  enlist  en  masse,  and  that  even 
the  pulpits  of  the  wealthiest  city  churches,  and  the  professors’ 
chairs  of  our  grandest  universities,  are  not  deserted,  at  least  by 
their  younger  incumbents,  in  the  overpowering  desire  and  pur- 
pose to  have  a share  in  this  sublime  work.  But,  alas  ! either  we 
'missionaries  are  enthusiasts,  seeing  only  delusive  visions,  or 
some  people  in  Christian  lands  are  blind  ; for  it  is  certain  we 
do  not  see  things  with  the  same  eyes. 

And  oh,  if  young  men  and  women  only  realized  the  privilege 
of  this  service ! In  reading  the  report  of  the  meeting  of  the 
Board,  the  other  day,  my  eye  fell  on  the  sentence,  “ Thirty  men 
need  China.”  I was  at  first  ready  to  laugh  at  the  blunder  of 
the  reporter ; for  doubtless  the  speaker  really  said,  “ China 
needs  thirty  men.”  But  I began  to  muse,  and  the  longer  I 
mused  the  more  convinced  I became  that  China  does  not  need 
the  men  any  more  certainly  than  do  the  men  need  China. 
Surely  it  offers  them  a field  for  the  largest  development  of  mind 
and  heart ; and  the  God  who  created  them  has  no  better  way  to 
ennoble  and  bless  them  than  by  calling  them  to  this  service. 

Everywhere  we  need  more  helpers  to  carry  the  gospel  to  the 
multitudes. 

Yours  very  truly, 

L.  I).  Chapin. 


“ IlDtap  pe  tljetefotc  tlje  uorti  of  the  hathest,  that  be  toill  Bcnb  forth 
laborero  into  h>0  bathest.” 


Seaf  frcnn  7-ootns  of  A.  B.  C.  F.  A/.,  Fei.j,  /88o. 
t Somerset  Street,  Boston,  Mass. 


